Wheeler County, Oregon solar ordinance
Solar: 12 acres (high-value farmland described at ORS 195.300(10)) maximum project size, 20 acres (arable lands) maximum project size. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 7, 2026.
Updated October 2026
Solar rules
3 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Maximum project sizehigh-value farmland described at ORS 195.300(10)For high-value farmland described at ORS 195.300(10), a photovoltaic solar power generation facility shall not use, occupy or cover more than 12 acres | 12 acres |
Maximum project sizearable landsFor arable lands, a photovoltaic solar power generation facility shall not use, occupy, or cover more than 20 acres. | 20 acres |
Maximum project sizenonarable landsFor nonarable lands, a photovoltaic solar power generation facility shall not use, occupy, or cover more than 320 acres. | 320 acres |
Source: Wheeler County ordinance (PDF), read October 7, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Oregon state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Oregon rules and counties.
State siting: Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council
A state site certificate is required for solar using more than 240 acres of high-value farmland, 2,560 acres of cultivated land or 3,840 acres of other land, and for wind of 300 MW nameplate (100 MW average) or more; smaller projects are permitted by the county, and standalone batteries may opt in to state review.
ORS 469.300(11)(a) and 469.320 (solar acreage per HB 3179 (2023); wind per HB 3874 (2025); standalone storage opt-in per HB 4015 (2024)). Source
Limits on local rules
Once the Siting Council issues a site certificate, it binds counties and cities, which must issue the permits it covers without further hearings.
ORS 469.401(3). Source
Solar standards in state law
Binds counties approving solar on farm (EFU) land below the state threshold: the array may not cover more than these acreages without a statewide planning goal exception.
| Max area on high-value farmland | 12 acres |
| Max area on arable land | 20 acres |
| Max area on nonarable land | 320 acres |
OAR 660-033-0130(38)(g), (i), (j) (Goal 3 agricultural land rule, as amended through LCDD 10-2026, effective Oct 1, 2026). Source
Solar standards in state law
Optional eastern Oregon path: a county without its own solar program may instead approve larger arrays on farm land under these caps.
| Max area on qualifying high-value farmland (eastern Oregon path) | 160 acres |
| Max area on arable land (eastern Oregon path) | 1,280 acres |
| Max area on nonarable land (eastern Oregon path) | 1,920 acres |
OAR 660-033-0130(44) (as amended through LCDD 10-2026, effective Oct 1, 2026). Source
Solar standards in state law
Statewide DEQ noise rule for solar of any size, whether permitted by the state or the county: no more than 10 dBA over the ambient level, which may be assumed to be 26 dBA (L50), at noise-sensitive property unless the owner waives it.
| Noise | 10 dBA over ambient (ambient assumed 26 dBA L50) |
OAR 340-035-0035(1)(b)(B)(iii) (as amended by DEQ 17-2024, effective Oct 17, 2024). Source
Every Oregon figure in one spreadsheet
41 figures from 8 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 1 of those places is not on this site. Plus Oregon state law.
How these figures were read
We found Wheeler County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.